Local firearm sales are through the roof due to normal holiday shopping and a run on guns on the heels of a presidential pledge to examine control measures in the shadow of a school shooting that left 20 kindergartners dead in Connecticut last week.

“It’s a combination of both Christmas shopping and President (Barack) Obama talking gun control,” said John King, who owns Eastern Outfitters stores in Jacksonville and Hampstead.

King said what happened in Newtown, Conn., was heartbreaking and he in no way condones the use of firearms in such a way.

“It’s an absolute tragedy and the person responsible just happened to use firearms popular to a lot of Americans,” he said. “It’s hard to argue against some form gun control in light of such a tragedy, but a knee-jerk political reaction isn’t what we need.”

King said every single time gun control is even mentioned in the slightest degree sales skyrocket.

“During the presidential debate Obama said one line and sales went way up,” he said.

But nothing that has gone before compares to the run gun retailers are experiencing now.

Chris Heath, manager at Stop-N-Pawn on Lejeune Boulevard, agrees completely. He said his store has sold half its stock of firearms since the Dec. 14 incident in Connecticut.

Not only are guns flying off the shelves, related accessories such as ammo clips are as well, Heath said.

“It's good for business, but the sad reality behind it all isn't good news for anyone,” he said.

The FBI reported last week that background check requests jumped 20 percent on Black Friday over the same time last year — and that was before the tragedy in Connecticut and the political repercussions.

Beside reaction to possible policy changes after the Sandy Hook Elementary School mass shooting, other reasons have been cited by multiple media outlets as to why folks are buying more guns: The fallen-flat Mayan Calendar scare and a fascination with a zombie apocalypse have been given as reasons guns were flying off the shelves last week.

Targets printed with zombies are big sellers at local gun ranges, according to employees. Ammunition companies have introduced rifle cartridges and shotgun shells meant for killing zombies. One brand markets the ammo as “just in case.”

Local classes on how to safely and effectively use firearms are up as well.

Ladies and beginner courses have been jam packed or completely sold out since the Newtown shooting, said employees at Sportsman's Lodge on New Bern Highway in Jacksonville. They told The Daily News they are hearing from customers, especially mothers, that people are signing up for the classes to be prepared in case a similar tragedy happens here.

But to many, the right to bear arms isn’t about any of that. It’s a fundamental belief in an armed citizenry keeping its government in check.

Local supporters of gun rights see the president’s announcement as the writing on the wall for firearm ownership and an attack on the Second Amendment, even if Obama isn’t using terms like “gun control” in his speeches.

Jacksonville resident Marc Brownlee, a former Marine, said the Second Amendment is Americans’ last link to freedom.

“If we ever lose the right to defend ourselves from a tyrannical government, the rest of the Bill of Rights will follow behind shortly,” he said, adding that the right to bear arms isn’t about hunting or sports, it’s about an armed citizenship ready to revolt against tyranny.

Gun control has been a hot political issue for more than three decades. Anytime the possibility of banning firearms comes up, some people run out and buy as many as they can afford, local gun shop owners said.

But that doesn’t necessarily translate into wads of cash in the pockets of gun sellers.

The profit margin on guns isn’t that wide. Most retailers offer guns close to cost to get customers in the store where they buy other related merchandise like ammunition and apparel, King said.

Most people seem to think someone can walk into a gun store, pick out a rifle, put their money down and walk out with no questions asked; but it just doesn’t work that way. People who don’t buy guns, including lawmakers, don’t understand the steps involved, King said.

“To buy a rifle you have to go through a background check, and we are audited often by the ATF,” King said of the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco and Explosives.

He said the majority of gun dealers follow the rules and go the extra mile to prevent guns getting out on the streets.

“We try to identify straw purchases where someone is buying a gun for someone who can’t legally own one,” he said.

Contact Daily News Senior Reporter Lindell Kay at 910-219-8455 or lindell.kay@jdnews.com. Follow him on Twitter and friend him on Facebook @ 1lindell.